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PUFF-TOBER-WEEN: Day 1: CABIN OF TERROR

Considering that it was shot over the course of 48 hours, Cabin of Terror is amazing on a lot of levels. This is how the film is described online:

“In the style of the early nineties video board game “Nightmare”, our host, the Gatekeeper, leads the viewer through his twisted “Cabin of Terror”. You, the game player, must bet on the fates of three not-so-lucky female contestants, while obeying the Gatekeeper’s every command on this VHS dubbed in Hell.”

Now, if you are the horror fan who grew up watching the movies on VHS, the very beginning of the short will bring a grin to your face. In fact, the whole production – tracking issues and all – brings to mind those over-sized video boxes that would sit proudly on the top shelf of the horror section in the video store (“We dare you to watch the final 10 minutes alone!” “Banned in 31 countries!”).

Now I understand that is sounds cheesy. But I’d argue that watching this film gives you a brief taste of what it’s like to go insane. There is something decidedly unnatural about the short, whether it’s in its bizarre edits that work like acid flashbacks or in the way the material is so unrelenting. In many ways, this film sets out to do what Rob Zombie wanted to achieve with House of 1,000 Corpses and countless other sadistic horror movies in the last eight years, and succeeded where they don’t. And a large part of that is due to its length, at less than 10 minutes long, the movie doesn’t give you a single second to breathe, and when it’s over, you’re relieved instead of exhausted.

Make no mistake, this isn’t pleasant entertainment. This is a short film that fulfills that promise that has been broken repeatedly over the years due to inflated hype and an overall misunderstanding of what horror is.

But don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself:

I’d be terrified to know what these guys could accomplish with a bigger story and budget.

I’m a total wuss about this kind of stuff, and this kind of peek into someone’s mind is very disturbing to me. I think that’s why when I saw Blair Witch I was creeped the hell out when everyone else just laughed.

The thing I can’t reconcile, though, is that I really want to watch this film again…